Saddle structure for earth grader



y8, 6 P. E. HANSER' 3,454,110

SADDLE STRUCTURE FOR EARTH GRADER Filed June 21, 1966 Sheet of 2 c IO '0m m m N O I Q m p N 6 6 3 o (0 a O N 70 IO N INVENTOR. PAUL E. HANSER BY4 M ATTORN'EY l July 8; 1969 P. E. HANSER 3,454,110

SADDLE STRUCTURE FOR EARTH GRADER Filed June 21, 1966 v Sheet 3 of 2INVENTOR. PAUL E. HANSER /IMAM W ATTORNE United States Patent 3,454,110SADDLE STRUCTURE FOR EARTH GRADER Paul Edmund Hanser, Moline, Ill.,assignor to Deere & Company, Moliue, 111., a corporation of DelawareFiled June 21, 1966, Ser. No. 559,159 Int. Cl. E02f 3/12 US. Cl. 172-7938 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A saddle structure for a motorgrader that includes a vertically disposed downwardly opening U-shapedtrack structure extending around the main fore-and-aft beam with anannular recess in a vertical face thereof. A transverse implementsupporting beam positioned above the track structure with dependingportions residing in the recess for guiding the transverse beamangularly, and a hydraulic locking device for locking the transversebeam structure against movement on the track structure.

This invention relates to an earth grader and more particularly to thesaddle structure on the longitudinal main beam of the grader thatconventionally angles the blade.

Normally a road grader or scraper is composed of a fore-and-aftextending main beam that is supported at its front and rear ends bywheels, one set of which is traction wheels. The beam overlies andsuspends a grader blade that may be shifted transversely as well asangled vertically so that various grades and cuts may be made. The meansof suspending the blade generally includes a transverse beam structurethat is carried on the main fore-andaft beam and a pair of verticallydisposed hydraulic cylinders that have lower ends connected to the bladestructure. Often times the transverse beam structure is adapted to moveangularly about the fore-and-aft extending main beam. It is the mainobject of the present invention to provide an improved saddle structurethat permits the transverse beam structure to rotate or angle about thefore-and-aft extending main beam.

Specifically it is an object of the invention to provide anangular-shaped track that is supported transversely on the mainfore-and-aft extending beam with annular grooves on opposite radialfaces thereof. A transverse beam is positioned above the track and hasdepending wall structure disposed adjacent opposite sides of the track.The wall structures have internal guide means extending into the annulargrooves for guiding the transverse beam structure around the track. Theannular track has angularly spaced openings therein that receive pinscarried on the depending walls. The pins are actuated by hydraulicallyoperated rams and are inserted or withdrawn from the openings in thetrack as desired.

It is a further object of the invention to provide in the depending wallfacing the operators station on the grader openings through which thehydraulically operated locking pins may be viewed from the operatorsstation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide the annular track tohave an open underside so that it may be removed from the mainfore-and-aft extending beam. The fore-and-aft extending beam hasupwardly facing ledges and the annular track has cooperating downwardlyfacing ledges that rest upon the ledges on the main fore-and-aft beam.The two ledges are detachably interlocked.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art as the nature of the invention is betterunderstood from the following description and as shown in theaccompanying drawings.

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FIG. 1 is a front and side perspective view of the main portions of theroad grader.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the road grader taken substantially alonga vertical transverse plane just forwardly of the saddle structure andlooking rearwardly.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the structure shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side and rear perspective view of a portion of the saddleand main beam structure.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line55 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line6-6 of FIG. 5.

The grader is composed of a rearwardly positioned tractor 10 having twosets of transversely spaced traction wheels 11 and a pair of frontsteerable wheels, one of which is shown at 12. Interconnecting thetractor and the front steerable wheels 12 is a fore-and-aft extendingmain beam 13 that is rectangular in cross section; having vertical sideWalls 14, 15 and horizontal upper and lower walls 16, 17 respectively.An operators station 18 is supported on the rear end of the main beam13. Suitable controls and steering mechanism are provided adjacent theoperators station 18 so that an operator may operate the varioushydraulic units of the grader as well as steer the grader.

Suspended beneath the main beam 13 is a grader blade 19 suitablycarried, in conventional manner, by a circle 20 having an internal gear,not shown, but suitably controlled for rotation by a hydraulic rotarymotor, indicated by its housing 21. A beam structure is positioned abovethe longitudinal beam 13- and has opposite ends thereof projectingtransversely outwardly of the beam 13. The beam structure 25 is composedbasically of a downwardly opening U-shaped structural plate 26 withforeand-aft spaced apart walls 27, 28. Trunnion blocks 29', 30 arewelded to the internal surfaces of the transverse beam portion 26adjacent opposite ends thereof. The trunnions receive horizontal andtransversely outwardly projecting swivel pins, shown partially at 31,32, carrying yokes 33, 34. Swiveled on the yokes 33, 34 are verticallydisposed extensible and retractable links or hydraulic cylinders 35, 36that have their rod ends connected to structure on the circle 20'.Welded to and projecting forwardly from the Wall 28 is a reinforcingstructural member 40 that includes in part a semicircular or semiannularportion 41 and an outwardly and downwardly extending arm portion 42. Thearm portion 42 has a ball section 43 of a ball-and-socket joint at itslower end. A third hydraulic cylinder 44 extends from the ball 43transversely beneath the main beam 13 to a lower end connected to thecircle structure 20-. As is clearly apparent, the hydraulic cylinders35, 36 and 44 operate to raise and lower and tilt the blade 19.

The transverse beam structure 25 is supported on the main fore-and-aftextending beam 13 by means of an annular track member that extendsaround the beam 13 and opens downwardly so as to permit the track member50 to be removed. The side walls 14, 15 have outwardly projecting ledgemembers 51, 52. Cast integral with the track 50 are a pair of ledgemembers 53, 54 that face downwardly and are supported on the lower ledgemembers 51, 52. Suitable bolts 55 detachably but rigidly connect theledge members 53, 54 to the ledge members 51, 52.

As may best be seen from viewing FIG. 6, the track is I-shaped in crosssection having annular grooves 60, 61 in its front and rear radial facesrespectively. The flange 63 between the respective grooves 60, 61 has aplurality of angularly spaced pin receiving openings 64.

Fixed to the semicircular structural member 41 on opposite sides thereofis a pair of hydraulically operated locking pin structures 65. Eachstructure 65 includes a head plate 66 that has its outer edges bolted,as at 67, to the structural member 41. The plate 66 bears against afluid cylinder 68. The forward end of the cylinder 68 bears against theend of a sleeve 69 extending fore-andaft through the semicircularstructural portion 41 and the wall portion 28. The forward end of thesleeve 69 operates as a boss portion that is inserted in the groove 61and operates as a guide Within the groove 61. A snap ring 70 is fittedon the outer surface of the sleeve 69 and limits its inward travel inrespect to the groove 61. The sleeve 69 carries a locking pin 72 havinga forward tapered end 73 that is received in the openings 64 of thetrack, the openings 64 being also tapered in accordance with the taperof the pin end 73. The forward end of the pin 72 extends through theguide 69 and into the cylinder 68. A sealing ring 74 is positioned onthe extreme forward end of the pin 72. A similar sealing ring 75 isslidably positioned, in respect to the pin 72, adjacent the end of thesleeve 69. A fluid passage 76 is provided in the cylinder 68 between therings 74, 75 so that fluid may be moved into the cylinder to therebymove the pin 72 axially to unlock the entire saddle structure 25 topermit angular movement in respect to the track structure 50.

The wall 27 that faces the operators station 18 has a pair of openings80 in alignment with the locking structure 65 and particularly inalignment with the pin 72. The purpose of the openings 80 is to permitthe operator to view the positions of the pins 72 in respect to therespective openings 64. Thus, the operator may determine whether thepins 72 are properly aligned with the openings 64 and also whether thepins 72 are in their locked or unlocked position in respect to theopenings 64. Suitable guide blocks 81 are fixed to the front wall 27 andare positioned just outwardly of the openings 80. The blocks engage theouter edge of the track 50 and generally hold the track in properfore-and-aft alignment in respect to the transverse beam structure 25.The forward end of each of the pins 72 is provided with an axial opening84 that receives a pilot rod 83 fixed to the central portion of the endplate 66. The pilot 83 operates to stabilize the pin 72 in its axialmovement and has an axial fluid passage through which hydraulic fluidmay move to and from the opening 84. Thus movement of fluid into opening84 will force the pin 72 into a locked position in respect to the track50.

What is claimed is:

1. A saddle construction for use in a road grader having a fore-and-aftextending main frame, comprising: an annular-shaped upright tracksupported transversely on the frame and formed about a fore-and-aft axisand having an annular groove recessed in a radial face thereof; atransverse beam positioned above the track having depending structureincluding fore-and-aft spaced vertical walls adjacent the track; guidemeans on the walls with at least part thereof extending into therecessed groove for guiding the transverse beam for angular movementaround the track; a plurality of angularly spaced openings in the track;pin means carried on the walls for movement into and out of engagementwith the openings; hydraulic means on the depending structure forforcibly adjusting the pin means into and out of the openings forlocking the structure against movement and for releasing the structurefor movement respectively; and transversely spaced connections fordepending extensible and retractable links on the transverse beam.

2. A saddle construction for use in a road grader having a fore-and-aftextending main frame, comprising: an annular-shaped track supportedtransversely on the frame and formed about a fore-and-aft axis andhaving an annular groove in a radial face; transverse beam strucanannular groove in a radial face; trnsverse bem structure having fore-and-aft spaced guide means adjacent to and engageable with oppositesides of the track with one of said guide means extending into theannular groove for guiding the transverse beam structure for angularmovement around the track; a plurality of angularly spaced openings inthe track; pin means carried on the beam structure for movement into andout of engagement with the openings; hydraulic means on the beamstructure for forcibly adjusting the pin means into and out of theopenings for locking the beam against movement and for releasing thebeam structure for movement respectively; and transversely spacedconnections for depending extensible and retractable links on thetransverse beam structure.

3. The structure as set forth in claim 2 in which the road grader has anoperators station rearwardly of the saddle-structure and the beamstructure has a vertical Wall on the side of the track facing theoperators station with openings therein aligned with the pin meanswhereby an operator may view the position of the pin means in relationto seating in the respective openings of the track.

4. The structure as set forth in claim 2 in which the pin means arehorizontal pins supported to slide axially into and out of engagementwith openings in the track, and further characterized by the pins andopenings being tapered.

5. The structure as set forth in claim 4 in which the hydraulic means isa hydraulic cylinder supported on one of the walls in axial alignmentwith the respective pin, and a hydraulically operated ram rigid with thepin re tained in the cylinder.

6. The structure as set forth in claim 2 in which the guide element is arigid boss projecting from the inner face of one of the vertical wallsand which surrounds the pin means.

7. The structure as set forth in claim 2 in which the main frame is afore-and-aft extending beam, the annular track structure fits on thebeam and has an open underside to permit the track to be removed fromthe beam, the beam has upwardly facing ledges on opposite sides, thetrack structure has downwardly facing ledges adapted to engage andreside on the ledges of the beam, and means detachably and rigidlyinterconnecting the ledges to one another.

8. In a motor grader, the combination of a fore-and-aft extending mainbeam with opposite sides; a pair of horizontal ledges rigid with andprojecting from the sides; a transverse downwardly opening memberdisposed about the beam with downwardly facing ledges engaging andfixedly attached to the aforesaid horizontal ledges, said member havingan outer circular-shaped groove recessed in a vertical surface thereofand encompassing the main beam; a transverse beam disposed above themain beam and having fore-and-aft projecting guide means projecting intothe recessed groove for guiding the transverse beam for angularmovement; and means for locking the transverse beam against movement inrespect to the member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,655,743 10/1953 Ross 172-7932,749,630 6/ 1956 Nave l72803 3,016,636 1/1962 Lado 172793 X 3,038,2686/ 1962 Vivier 172-793 3,295,878 1/ 1967 Houvener 292-144 3,327,4136/1967 Brinkmeyer et al. 172793 X ANTONIO F. GUIDA, Primary Examiner.

A. E. KOPECKI, Assistant Examiner.

mg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,L5 L,l1O Dated 8 July 1969 Inventor(s) Paul Edmund Hanser are in theabove-identified patent It is certified that error appe eby corrected asshown below:

and that said Letters Patent are her last line, before "transverse"insert a rm Column 3,

cancel "an annular groove in a radial face;

Column L, line 1, trneverse bem otruc-".

SIGNED AND SEALED QSEAL) Atmst:

'ficlmsrfi M. Fletcher, In 1 E- 'SGHUYLER, JR. Aitesting Officer Q-I-IIML -O Patents

